1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to maintaining articles at reduced temperatures and more particularly to an apparatus and method for maintaining articles at reduced temperatures for extended periods of time without the use of electricity.
2. Description of the Related Art
Historically, ice was harvested from lakes and packed with saw dust inside insulated ice houses for extended periods of time. A block of ice was purchased from an ice house and placed in an individual ice box to maintain meat, dairy, and produce at reduced temperatures in order to delay spoilage. Modern day refrigeration systems use electricity to compress and expand a gas through an expansion valve to achieve similar results. While modern day refrigeration systems are ubiquitous in homes throughout developed regions of the world, electricity distribution and refrigeration systems can be scarce in less-developed regions.
It is known that some vaccines are sensitive to heat and will become less effective or completely ineffective if not kept refrigerated or frozen. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests refrigerated vaccines be maintained at temperatures between 2° C. and 8° C. (35° F. and 46° F.) and frozen vaccines be maintained at temperatures between −50° C. and −15° C. (−58° F. and 5° F.). The suggested ranges of temperatures are difficult or impossible to maintain for extended periods of time without adequate refrigeration systems and dependable electricity distribution.
What is needed is an apparatus and method for maintaining articles, such as vaccines, transplant organs or food, within their recommended temperature ranges for extended periods of time and without the need for grid-supplied electricity.